Oregon and Dan Lanning have come fresh off of a near-perfect season in 2024. Despite losing some momentum at the end, the Ducks went undefeated in the regular season and mounted some crazy wins in a row, including a Big 10 championship. They were ranked the No. 1 team in the nation, and of course, not for nothing. Dan Lanning’s coaching supremacy has been a constant talking point heading into the off-season. But the question is, do they look as good as they did even a month back? They have seen a lot of NFL departures this spring. Dilon Gabriel, Jordan James, and Tez Johnson made most of their expensive voids in the depth chart. But not only just the player’s lineup, Oregon suffered a huge blow on the coaching front as well.

WR coach Junior Adams packed his bags to leave for the Dallas Cowboys. Lanning needs a quick fix for this, and it’s not good news for Alabama Crimson Tide and Kalen DeBoer.

Kalen DeBoer might fall victim to Dan Lanning’s desperate coaching staff hunt

According to multiple reports, wide receivers coach Junior Adams is finalizing a deal with the Dallas Cowboys to become their new wide receivers coach under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Since 2004, Adams has been a cornerstone in the wide receiver coaching room in the collegiate football rank and contributed much of his knowledge and expertise in the development of numerous prized talents. His tenure with the Oregon trio, Troy Franklin, Tez Johnson, and Traeshon Holden, remains an irreplaceable asset in the franchise’s history. While the NFL debut will be a great leap for Adam’s career, his absence will leave a hole in the Ducks’ coaching staff. However, Dan Lanning has been advised to go after one particular name.

To elaborate, Dan Lanning is on a WR hunt, and among the names being floated, one concerns a team in the SEC. ROC football boys podcast host noted, “I think it would be a really interesting hire. That’s JaMarcus Shephard from Alabama now, who was at Washington with Kalen DeBoer, who did a phenomenal job with the wide receiver play at Washington… with guys like McMillan, I mean, it was one of the most talented wide receiver rooms that we saw in the country during his time with Washington.”

While hiring Shephard a year back, Kalen DeBoer was extremely confident in his choice. He mentioned how the guy knows what the program is trying to accomplish on both sides of the football and how his resume carries the proof of him being the excellent teacher and recruiter in his career. Weighing in on his brief yet significant one-year Alabama stint so far, the Ducks’ insider continued,

”He goes to Alabama and does a really good job with a guy like Ryan Williams, does a really good job with a guy like Jeremy Bernard. Now why I mention a guy like JaMarcus Shephard is because he had that cool tag on him to come to Alabama and follow Kalen DeBoer.”

A few years back, the idea of manipulating staff from one program to another was kind of foreign. But today, with the growing significance of the NIL money and the heightened competition, it’s common. Dan Lanning never did anything to keep him out of the aggressive poachers’ list. Rather, his upfront policy in hiring staff has been notoriously celebrated in the mix. ”

I don’t think it’s that crazy for Dan Lanning to call a guy like JaMarcus Shephard, have him pick up the phone, and at least show some interest,” the host drew a bottom line.

Kalen DeBoer, however, already set up a damage control plot.

Kalen DeBoer unofficially demoted Demarcus Shepard

Alabama added Ryan Grubb to its coaching staff on Sunday, marking a massive move on the backdrop of a beleaguered season. The interesting fact? Grubb, who is taking up the charge as the offensive coordinator, was also a part of DeBoer’s legendary Washington coaching room.

He has served as the OC and the quarterback coach from 2022 to 2023. They worked together to take the program to a college football championship game. The gel is there, but it raised questions about what that meant for other assistants, including Nick Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard.

DeBoer isn’t letting them go, nonetheless. While Grubb will be the new offensive coordinator, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg suggested that 2024 OC Nick Sheridan is set to remain on Kalen DeBoer’s staff. JaMarcus Shephard, who held the title of co-offensive coordinator, is also set to be part of the 2025 staff. “It’s not necessarily a clear demotion, but I do think it’s a demotion in a sense, and if you want to go spin the tires on JaMarcus Shephard,” Jason Piacelli, the Oregon insider, noted.

We will see what the upcoming season has in store for the prized WR coach.